I’ve now been on Accutane for five weeks – and last Tuesday I had my first appointment with the doctor to check I could continue on the drug. If you are new to the blog or this skin series, take a look at this post where I give the back story on why I have chosen to take Accutane for my adult acne.

The process to go on Accutane is very long. You can expect to wait up to 12 weeks after your GP has referred you to even have your consultation appointment. When I was finally seen, I had to sit down with three doctors and sign numerous forms acknowledging the side effects and promising not to get pregnant whilst taking the drug. I went away with a dose of 25mg per day for the first month.

I didn’t notice any side effects during the first week, but then I started to breakout on my face, shoulders and chest. I don’t usually suffer from acne in these places, so it was a little frustrating that the pills which were meant to cure my skin were actually making it worse. Luckily, this is very normal and the spots cleared up as quickly as they appeared.

Accutane stops your skin from producing oil – and in return this makes your skin extremely dry. So far I have noticed this on my face and lips, but I’ve been making sure I use moisturiser and lip balm consistently throughout the day. You can read about my Accutane skincare saviours here.

On the plus side, I’ve found that I can go a good four days without washing my hair, something I definitely couldn’t do before treatment! I also find that my makeup stays on for much longer – my foundation used to slip off by lunchtime.

So…the burning question – has my skin got any better since taking Accutane? So far, I’ve noticed a big difference on my neck. I feel like the lumps and redness that was there before has almost completely gone and I definitely feel less self-conscious than before. My back is still very much a work in progress, but I was told that it can take a couple of months for results to be seen in that area.

At my appointment this week, we agreed to up my dose to 50mg per day (double what I had been on) so I imagine I will see a few more side effects by the time I write my next post.

So far I am feeling pretty good on Accutane. I haven’t had any discomfort, my side effects have been very mild and I am already seeing an improvement in my skin. It is all going to plan!